The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) has announced the recipients of its prestigious national Native American 40 Under 40 awards.

In honor of its 40th anniversary in 2009, the NCAIED introduced the Native American 40 Under 40 to recognize emerging American Indian leaders between the ages of 18 to 39 "who have demonstrated leadership, initiative and dedication to achieve significant contributions business, communities and Indian country,” states a NCAIED press release.

Award winners were nominated and then selected by a panel of NCAIED representatives.

The NCAIED will present the honorees with their awards at the 37th Annual Indian Progress in Business Awards Gala (INPRO), a featured event of RES Oklahoma, a new two-day Reservation Economic Summit event taking place November 14-15 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa. RES 2013 will take place March 11-14 in Las Vegas. Additional regional RES events will soon be announced.

The Native American 40 Under 40 award winners are:

Courtney Beihn, Arrowhead Realty, LLC., Arrowhead Construction, Inc., Toh-nobe LLC.

Toyahni Beihn, Arrowhead Realty, LLC., Arrowhead Construction, Inc., Toh-nobe LLC.

Jay Calhoun, Cherokee Nation Businesses

Kitcki Carroll, United South & Eastern Tribes, Inc.

Leonika Charging,  Fredericks Peebles & Morgan, LLP.

Stacey Ecoffey, Principal Advisor for Tribal Affairs, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Kristin Gentry, American Cancer Society, University of New Mexico

Justin Giles, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Museum & Cultural Center

Christina Good Voice, Communications Manager, Muscogee (Creek) Nation

Brian Gunn, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP.

Morgan Hunt Warriax, The University of North Carolina - Pembroke

Jessica Imotichey, Senior Policy Analyst, Chickasaw Nation

Teresa Jackson, Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services

Dennis Johnson, Ho-Chunk, Inc.

Michael Kasper, Mno-Bmadsen

Dawn Kimberlin, NANA Management Services

Travis Komahcheet, Intertribal Visions Unlimited, Inc.

Stanford Lake, Hogan Structure Group, LLC.

Rhonda LeValdo, Haskell Indian Nations University

Andrea Mann, Oklahoma City Public Schools

Mark Masters, Chloeta Fire, LLC.

Vernon Miller, Omaha Nation Public Schools

Autumn Monteau, New Mexico Indian Affairs Department

Paxton Myers, National Indian Gaming Commission

Rebecca Naragon, U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Indian Energy & Economic Development

Jenifer Pechonick, Consultant

Robert Quaempts, Wenaha Group, Inc.

Josie Raphaelito, Center for Native American Youth

Jason Salsman, Muscogee (Creek) Nation

Gewas Schindler, Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team

Shannon Shaw-Duty, Osage Nation

John Shotton, Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians

Samuel R. Strong, Red Lake Ojibewe Nation

Jamerson R. Tafoya, Santo Domingo Tribe

Blake Trueblood, Trueblood Law Group, P.A.

Jancita Warrington, Prairie Band Potawatomie Nation

Robert Weaver, RWI Benefits

Karrie Wichtman, Rosette, LLP.

Geneva Wiki, Wild Rivers Community Foundation

Kyle Williams, Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas